In the past, tree stands, as commonly used in hunting, have often been constructed on a tree and secured to the tree in a permanent fashion. These early stands, made mostly of wood, were both functional and inexpensive to build. However, the construction of such tree stands was time consuming and since they were permanently attached to the tree, such tree stands were not portable and consequently did not lend themselves for use in other hunting areas.
The development of portable tree stands increased their use by hunters because they were marketed as a preassembled unit that could be temporarily secured to a tree and moved to other locations if so desired. Generally some portable tree stands were designed as a convertible backpack whereby they could easily be carried by a hunter to the location of their intended use. In addition as seen in the prior art, many known portable tree stands are bulky, heavy, complicated in construction and expensive to manufacture.
Many of the portable tree stands that are in use today incorporate a supporting means that severs the bark from a tree when the stand is secured in place. Since the portable tree stand has become a widely accepted piece of equipment to the hunter, it should be appreciated that a great deal of damage can be done in a forest by their use. Recent public awareness and acceptance of conservation of the environment has prompted criticism of portable tree stands that harm trees and consequently such types are not going to be readily acceptable to much of the purchasing public.